what was your first tiki creation?

Okay artists and non-artists alike, we've seen your best (and it's AWESOME), now let's see your first! :)

I thought it would be fun to start a thread about some of our...er...not so best creations or our first creation(s) that got us hooked on all things tiki!
I'll start with my first two:

This Shag influenced guy (from one of the shag zippos) was carved with a swiss army knife and a palm sander. He was my first carving. And the first time I cut my thumb.

This Moai mug is straight out of PAD! He was my first tiki creation and my first tiki mug. He took a tumble one day, I glued him back together, bought the PAD book, and made a lamp out of him. He basked our kitchen in a beautiful red glow for many years. Our cats enjoyed his company too and liked to rub against him when we weren't looking. This, of course, caused him to tumble 3 more times, with 2 successful emergency surgeries, and one where I just couldn't find enough pieces to glue back together.
Here he is today:

I just couldn't bring myself to throw him away!

"Hey, at least I'm housebroken."

[ Edited by: Polynesiac on 2004-04-13 11:53 ]

[ Edited by: polynesiac on 2004-07-17 21:46 ]

Somewhere I have a box of old pictures(20 years old or so)which contains pix of my first works. I may have buried it because it smelled so bad, or locked it up because it made everyone double over in laughter. I'm Lookin an lookin.

I assembled this guy about 18 years ago using linoleum, twine, old costume jewelry & hot glue. From the "Iola Boylan" school of crafting.

On 2004-04-12 15:43, Polynesiac wrote:

My wife looked over my shoulder just now and said "is that yours"? Honestly, my first and only carving has to be it's twin!
I stuck it under a plant for years hoping to 'weather' it into something decent, but it just made it more brown......

Trader Woody

My first and last attempt at carving...

I can't believe I made my parents haul that damn palm log all the way home from Florida for that!

Carvings #1 & #2 came out pretty good. I tried to do a 4 footer for #3, almost lost a finger he now is sitting in the yard in the rain as a Mai Tiki replaced his perch indoors. I have lost the love for #3.

Hands down this buggah:

I still want to sacrifice this one at a midnight bonfire under a full moon.

This is my first Moai and a wild Voodoo coconut mask I made last summer. I made the moai with a bow saw and a 1" flat chisel. I was going to finish him one day but I kind of like the primative look and decided he is done. I like the Tiki Voodoo vibe and made the coconut mask in honor of the Vodou God Gede. If any bad Karma gets by my Tikis the coconut mask will quickly take care of it. I will be working on some new stuff this summer and will get them posted when done. In the backround are some plants from my greenhouse that will be going into this years Tiki Garden of the Gods. I will put some pics of it on when it's up to full power.

None of these is bad-the progression is the fun part of art.All of you should enjoy your first creations-I am!

Well, this was my second ever carving which I recently found in a box. I'd completely forgotten that I'd even attempted a second carving.

I'd like to be able to say that my right hand was injured at the time and I'd had to use my left hand and my feet to carve such a debacle, but that would just be a big lie...

Trader Woody

[ Edited by: Trader Woody on 2004-07-17 09:14 ]

I've seen worse than these in actual tiki bars.they are all great.very primitive looking. everyone is their own worst critic. some times i have to stop myself from spending too much time to make them look better.seems like the ones Im ready to throw in the trash are the first ones to sell. Ive actually set some out to the trash and they were gone the next day ( before the trashman came).

I agree...we are our own worst critic. These creations are really good, even if we feel (as the carver/creator) that they deserve to be the first log in our next bonfire...so...I decided to change the title of the thread to just the first creation.
I have to say that looking at the images posted, I wish my first creations looked like them!

Great topic, Polynesiac!

Here's my first tiki illustration:

http://www.samgambino.com

These were my first two tiki paintings, done at the beginning of last year. I have been a polynesian pop, oceanic art enthusiast for years and finally decided to act outta love

http://www.popindenial.com

[ Edited by: wushu on 2004-07-18 13:55 ]

This painting was two firsts...
First tiki painting, and first black velvet painting.. (before I found out that I should have bought velveteen ha.)
Didn't photograph too well, it's MUCH more subdued in real life.. that's the flash I guess... this would beeeee.. 5 years ago?

closeup of the little guy

Hey Palm, thanks for the idea of bumping this one up.

Okay, creating tikiphiles, show us the first!

I was lookin for this post but gave up. Thanks why I started the new thread. Butt here is mine. Carved one year ago Oct. 2004

this is the first one i ever did.

Three of my first attempts,soon approaching # 100.The one on the left is#1.

there's some really good first-time works here!

here's my first..

Using a router and Dremel rotary tool on a 2X8

My first mask, first clubs, and first tiki pole. That mask looks like a painted booger. Clubs...No Comment. Tiki, very fussy poplar log with a tung oil finish. It looked gross, too before I upgraded the finish later..

all of these are too nice to be 1st tiki creations . Let me show you how its done or not to be done....

WOW! Some of those first attempts are pretty nice. I think I may have you all beat with my first "tiki." I did it with a hatchet and bow-saw out of a piece of wood too punky to burn. Took all of 40 minutes to "carve." Actually I was pretty impressed with myself at the time. I really didn't think it would turn out even this "good!"

Ahhh, you always remember the first. Here's mine, from 1990.

WOAH! there are some kick ass first creations here!....thanks for sharing, there are still more artists out there...

Here's mine... first one finished 8/25/05. Seems weird that its only been 2 1/2 months.

my first carving

Funny, like doubravski this piece really isn't that old... design was laid out just before Wilma hit and cut the following week. I guess it's still a "work in progress" since I'm currently trying to work out a background scheme/pattern/motif for the little bugger. I'm pretty happy with the result so far...

No photos, of course - but - when my dad's 25' catamaran (called the "PapeToeTane" - no lie!) was in the back yard of our home in Venice, she had a small wooden Tahitian tiki on the cross-beam bow. When I was 5 or 6 years old - I used to make these little tiki masks out of mud, with white-rocks (blown off from the roof and from our garden) for eyes, nose and mouth. Pretty primitive, but it was probably what started all of this craziness in my life!

It's been downhill ever since.

Christmas tiki card and one of my first tikis.
Great stuff, great thread!

I survived the head-hungry Jivaro tribe!
http://www.swampfirelounge.com/

[ Edited by: Swamp Fire 2005-11-24 09:53 ]